Though still weeks from Christmas, an Oregon couple last week got some holiday cheer when a company that buys tall Christmas trees such as pines, spruces and firs approached them to see if they were interested in cutting down two 50-60 foot pine trees in their yard.

Carol Sarns was in her Eastland Drive home last Sunday when a man came to her door asking about a pair of tall pine trees in the yard of her neighbors, Ryan and Jenny McMahon.

The man, from Egan Acres Tree Farm, of Riverdale, New York, spotted the McMahon’s trees from I-280 as he made his way back from delivering a tree to a mall in Detroit.

“You can see our backyards from I-280, and he saw my neighbor’s trees,” said Sarns. “He said he was looking for two trees to take to New York, and they were what he wanted.”

Knowing that the McMahons were not home, Sarns agreed to jot down his name and phone number for the McMahon’s to contact him.

Switching schools. One’s last senior tackle. The prestige of clinching a fourth-straight Suburban Lakes League title. The looming imminence of a juggernaut of an Ottawa-Glandorf Titans’ squad stomping its way into Comet Stadium for the program’s third-consecutive home playoff game.

The disappointment of essentially being relegated to a back-up role on offense during one’s bittersweet swansong senior season for his new team, when he was a bona fide rising star and basically a “Mr. Do-It All” for his old.

In the early morning hours of June 6, 5-10, 210 pound Cuevas was force-fed a heaping spoonful of responsibility, crushing personal loss and sheer terror as a tornado that barreled through neighboring Lake Township and parts of Ottawa County, where it tore through the middle of his Reiman Road home while he was still inside.

Oregon City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Zalar at a special school board meeting Nov. 4 rallied supporters of the 5.9-mill emergency levy, which was defeated on Nov. 2, and urged them to remain united to resolve a $2 million budget deficit expected in the next school year.

“We had tremendous support from the board of education, from our teaching staff, classified support staff, administrative team, and the community,” said Zalar. “I think we set new standards in terms of the amount of money that we raised to run that campaign, the number of volunteers who contributed their time. I’ve heard from many, many people about the amount of information that was published. I don’t think anybody can say they weren’t aware we were on the ballot, they weren’t aware of what the issues were.”

Voters on Nov. 2 rejected the levy for the second time since 2009 by a vote of 3,605 to 1,119.

The school board has cut nearly $8 million from the budget in the last few years as a result of House Bill 66, which phased out tangible personal property taxes for businesses and created budgetary shortfalls for several school districts.

Parents of students attending Rocky Ridge Elementary School are watching various scenarios they claim could be implemented by the Benton-Carroll-Salem school board next year to reduce costs or raise revenues.

A letter distributed in the Rocky Ridge district lists six scenarios – most of which include closing buildings - presented by the administration during a recent work session of the board.

The letter, signed only “Concerned Parents of Rocky Ridge”, claims the administration’s approach to cutting the budget focuses only on facilities.

School board members intend to solicit public input on the options, according to a press release issued by the board after the Oct. 26 work session.

“A reduction of facilities is being considered due to reduced student enrollment, increasing operating costs, and the opportunity to reduce facility maintenance costs while maintaining or improving educational quality,” the release says.

Help for homeowners to battle ash borerThe WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc. is accepting applications until Nov. 24 for grants to assist with the removal of ash trees from residential property.

The removal program, which the commission is administering for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is designed to assist homeowners in the fight to limit damage caused by the Emerald Ash Borer.

The program provides funds for removing one ash tree per property with additional removals allowed through matching grants. The program provides for 65 percent of the removal costs for households at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines or half of the cost for households above the level.

WSOS has distributed application information to area local governments.

Interested persons should call Cindy Brookes, (419) 334-5016 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..